Protest Brokers and Patterns of Protest

Building on the previous chapter’s focus on protest occurrence, Chapter 7 explores how protest brokers influence the types of protest that emerge. Drawing on extensive qualitative and quantitative data, the chapter shows that brokers shape not just whether protest happens, but also how it unfolds. It offers four key findings. First, it demonstrates that mobilization tactics vary by broker type: brokers embedded in their communities are less likely to rely on financial incentives to mobilize protest than those with weaker local ties. Second, it shows that communities with nonembedded or nonexclusive brokers are more likely to protest over a broader range of issues. Third, because nonembedded brokers depend more on material incentives, this chapter shows that their protests tend to be shorter in duration. Finally, the data shows that protests are less likely to turn violent when organized by brokers who are either embedded in the community or exclusive in their elite affiliations. Together, these findings highlight the significant impact of broker characteristics on protest dynamics, and help explain variation in protest forms, duration, and intensity across communities.